Billion Dollar Whale authors 'inconsistent, confusing', says Najib’s lawyer


Christopher Rabin

NAJIB Razak knew that money was credited into his account but he did not know that they were allegedly illicit funds, the former prime minister’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said today, referring to the RM2.6 billion “donation”.

Shafee then took a swipe at the authors of the book, Billion Dollar Whale, for being “inconsistent” and “confusing”.

The best-selling book on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal was written by journalists from The Wall Street Journal, Tom Wright and Bradley Hope.

“I don’t understand what (they) are talking about. In most parts of the book, (they) confirmed that Najib was misled by Jho Low (Penang billionaire Low Taek Jho) and some Arab connections.

“In other parts, (they) concluded that Najib knew about a slush fund. I don’t understand what (they) meant by that,” Shafee said outside the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex today where Najib had attended his case management for charges related to illegally receiving money from SRC International, a former 1MDB subsidiary.

“If you ask me, did Najib know money came into his account? Of course he knows.

“See, these authors, they are not lawyers. They don’t understand that Najib is not saying he didn’t know that money came into his account.

“What Najib is saying is that he didn’t know that the money that came in was from illegal proceeds. It’s a world of difference,” said Shafee.

Shafee also welcomed a cross-examination of Low if he was in attendance at trial.

“I hope Jho Low turns up, so we can find the truth,” Shafee told reporters outside the KL sessions court today.

“We have millions of documents, but we need human input of the evidence to give meaning and context to these documents,” he said in relation to the trial of misappropriation of funds by 1MDB.

“If Jho Low was here, he cannot avoid being called as a witness. I would love to cross-examine him” Shafee added.

Najib was at the KL sessions court today for his first case management in relation to the RM 42 million channelled into his private bank accounts by SRC International, a subsidiary of 1MDB. – October 4, 2018.


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Comments


  • What a mangkuk lawyer !

    1. Najis said the money was a donation from the Saudis , he knew where it came from.
    2. Najis said he returned the money BUT he was using it.
    3. Najis was the Finance Minister and he does NOT KNOW the money was illegal proceeds??
    4. The MANGKUK is saying Najis does not it is illegal proceeds BUT he sends the money to an offshore account???

    How did this MANGKUK become a lawyer ? Disclosing his stupid defence BUT then again the ex AG Apandi disclosed the illegal transfers when he waved the paper.

    Posted 7 years ago by Aran Thillainathan · Reply

  • All that is required is that he knows the money is credited into his account. Whether he knew the actual source of the money is irrelevant because he was not supposed to have received the money in his account from whichever source for whatever reason.

    Posted 7 years ago by Léon Moch · Reply

  • The play button for decoration?

    Posted 7 years ago by P P · Reply

  • Is all the evidence impossible to get to complete the picture, as to what really happened? Can a court reach a just decision based on incomplete evidence? Jho Low?

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply